Growing up I never had a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day, leaving me with dear old Dad as my ever-constant Valentine. While he was an excellent one, I can remember wanting desperately to be able to celebrate the day with a real boyfriend (Somehow my boyfriends in high school always managed to purposefully sabotage our relationships just before the big day arrived. Probably smart…). You know, it didn’t happen–having a real Valentine–until Jeremiah, and we were not technically together (did anybody else take several “breaks” on your road to love???) until the V-day before we were engaged. So, when I finally did have a boyfriend on the big day, you can imagine my delight to find that he knew how to celebrate it right. He filled up the front desk of the KD dorm with flowers, not just for me, but for my best friends as well. The guy knew the way to my heart (Right council? 🙂 He knew he couldn’t make it without your approval.)
Then where did the, slightly ridiculous, Valentine’s Day ghost emerge from? On our engaged V-Day he had a HUGE medical school test. I was livid. Here V-Day is on a Friday night, I am ENGAGED, and I have been spending the past month giddy about the fact that it is on a Friday so that evil medical school will surely not be able to think of a way to ruin this for me. Oh but it did! Jeremiah, knowing me, had forbidden me to come see him until after the test was over. He knew he’d not get an ounce of decent studying done if I brought the V-day happies, so I determined to make the best of it. He said I couldn’t SEE him, but he didn’t say I couldn’t leave surprises all along his trail throughout the day to wish him a happy V-day, make sure he knew how loved he was, and maybe embarrass him in front of all those stuffy med-school friends just a wee bit. So that’s what I did. I skipped all my classes, named myself the Valentine’s Day Ghost, and left an elaborate trail of things in his path. Like a huge poster, decorated in one of my most artsy endeavours to date, covered with all the little particular reasons why I loved him. Heart Scooby Doo boxers tied to his car in the school parking lot…it went on and on. I remember my roommates watching (and helping) me map out all of the day’s happies and one of them said, “It’s a good thing you’ve already ‘got him,’ because if he were smart, he’d be sure to run after all of this.” 🙂
And so, the ghost has continued on ever since. I guess it is technically our first tradition. We’ve added a couple of Little Goblins along the way, and I still love having the excuse of Valentine’s Day to crazily, unashamedly, loudly proclaim how much I love the man I am married to. Happy V-Day! I am still wanting to shout it 🙂
(I feel like I am posting a mug shot of my Valentine. hehehe. Why do I feel the need to embarrass him on anythings Valentines related?) I posted the pictures, but I never did get to tell you why it is I love Valentine’s Day so much. It has nothing to do with hearts or red roses (In fact, I find the symbols for Valentine’s Day rather atrocious on the whole.), it is about what it represents. There is something that makes my heart sing about knowing that all over the world, people are celebrating love. Not just romantic love, but children love, friend love, brotherly love…but mostly romantic love, if I’m honest. And for any of you out there who may be wanting to tell me that maybe I should be naming my favorite holiday as Easter, and stop getting so wrapped up in all these secular holidays, I would like to remind you that, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). So when you get down to it, getting excited about love IS getting excited about God, so there. (Can you tell I’ve been crossed by that one before :))
I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!!! YOU R THE BEST!!!
PS…I think I was kind of a scrooge this V day! Although I have the best hubby ever. He gave me the best presents I could ever ask for,,,an invisible fence for my dogs and a projector for my art….yes I am serious! the best gifts EVER!!! (he listened to me and knew what I wanted!)
Cute story! I talked to Natalie today and she said it was fun to have your Valentine in town. I am sure the guys enjoyed some man time together! Have a great day!
Abby, I’m so glad you posted about why you love V-Day so much and why you do the Valentine’s Ghost stuff.. I knew there had to be a story behind it! I’m glad you still love V-day and your hubby!
I love it Abby! Thanks for sharing your Valentine’s history. You never fail to make me smile!
God is LOVE…Yes, indeed…YOU are right on!!! Hope your Heart Day was the best ever! And, Your DAD did a great job all those years..His reward? YOU wouldn’t settle for anything different in your mate! You knew what to look for just by his example! God Bless him!
The poster!!!! I almost forgot about it. Please tell me you still have it!
We enjoyed getting to see the Ghost and Goblins this year on the big day! It was such a fun surprise!
What a sweet story! Happy Friday!